Apparatus for reclaiming crank-case oil



Aug. 27, 1935. c. P. SHILLABER I APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING CHANK CASE OIL Filed March 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 sa@ w?,

Allg- 27, 1935. c. P. SHILLABER A 2,012,695

APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING CRANK CASE OIL Filed March 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHARLES P Sf//LLAE/Q.

Patented Aug. 27, 1935` Y chants in Svhillaber, New YorkQlN, Y assigner' to QuigleyCompany, Inc., `acorpora'tion of New York.

Y f Aplatidniuamhzi, 1933;;serialivaseaizv f comme; (cried-#165* v: 'i invention relateswgenerally to the ,frac-1,

tional V.distillation ands.separation, of the constituentsofl mixed hydrocarbon liquids', and the 115g gg Fig. 4 isan'enlarge eliminationy of solid' contained .impurities therel from, but is more specifically gdesigvnedeforuse inthe reclamation of icrank case oils; :andv the purification of other mineral oils. I

The lubricating. .oilput in the orankcases of` internal combustion engines usedY on motor cars,

and forced through the bearings and into the cylinders of such v engines so'on' becomes. diluted with gasolineand water andY loaded. with carbon and .other solid impurities to a point that renders it useless and injurious to the engine, so that it has Vto be removed and replacedrwithfresh oil. The lubricating oil contained inksuch mixture is, however, as useful as ever, if it canbe-separated from the i other, Vand objectionable `constituents,

thereof. 1

Various. types of processesindici apparatus have heretofore beenproposed for separating out these impurities and adulterants vfrom the basic constituent, the. lubricating oil Which-still constitutesthe bulk ofthezliquid takenioutgof the cases; :and utilizes'the moreA volatile impurities therein as fuel for ,carrying onpthedistillation procesa The bestia-maf .apparatus at Present known to eembodying my inventionfisVV illustrated in the accompanying t/vvofslieetsv ofCfdrawinfgs,l 'in Which. 'l V ',v if' Fi'ggf'lfis ja ",diagrammatic nside elevation of a plant embodying invention, withparts broken away and `others shownfins ectio. W

Fig-2152, vertical,

parts being-'shownzlin elevation?. r

Fig. -3 .is adetailplan view.

crank cas1e,'lbut none lof these has'zheretofore A gpipe 8; controlledbyvalves@'may serve forv sarya drawoffconduit for the containerg Y having a ldownwardly(projectingv intalef-.endjl approximately central par# tial section of thev still 'on a'larger scale, other*k v y fthe same, partsv being `oinittedt-'and sothers shown; in; section on.

Throughout the; drawings' like :reference characters indicate like parts. Referring tofFiggl, a furnace shell ofA any'gsuitable form is indicated at 'I inv Y which is set lthe 'container 2, preferably of `horizontal'circular' interior cross section with a downwardly dished bottomthough any convenient formpfpliquidcontainer may be Aenrployed. As shown,this,container is surrounded atit'sgtop edge :by vacircular ,angle-iron; flange 43,

portions of which rest on the slightly curved I- beams 40,- 40, supported on the ,furnacecasing.l

The latter Vhas an upper, slightlybverhanging' portion closely surrounding. theupper portionaoiy the v'container 2,",but leaving an annularspace 42 below ,it through which Ythe gasesof combustion' may `circulate produced byrthe 'combustionjof vaporized oil dischargedjfroin'any suitable'burnf er; 3 below A,the saidj receptacle; y Y Liquid hydro-r4 carbon is'gsupplied tofsaidyburner by the, pump 4. drawing Vfromthe surnpv5, towhich latter-the liquidis deliveredthrough-pipe rfrom'tankp'l; 'l .A

A valve for controlling the flow through; pipe 6 delivering the crank-case mixture to the interior Y of Vcontainer 42 through-gan opening;l Inheyjmp` Y chargedinto the; atmospherethrough a-1.iipe -I- 'I.v Y 44 .isua pipeathroughvwhich additional liquid hydrocarbon may; be supplied to tank ,1f if neces? I8 is Whichreaches mearly` to, the ,lowest portionL ,of

the bottom of said container, fand: 2liAll lis a shutoff valve :for: said conduit, preferably, ,located end of` whifcneigtends downwardto a ,coolingfap- Y i paratusi 2l 1 of any 'suitable construction -loc:ited` somewhatlmelowr the 'levelf of l the. intake end Y oil may be discharged by Ypipe 25 to any suitable; 4storage tank, notV shown. N

26 represents a steam pipe controlled valve 21, said pipe. extending downto a pointV near the, l9,ottom ,2 of `VVsaid receptacle, asgbest haslanA upper, greatlyelongated portion'. 33 of larger internal cross4 sectionwhich may be .shut off .by 'Valve.52. 34 is .any suitable cap placed over, and spaced awayfrom, the upper end of the ducedintothe Ainterior of Vreceptacle 2.

hahdh'ole. .3 Six-isi'also provided.` in 'said cover :for

shown inlFig'slQ Zand 4, and there havingaplu-y rality o1V radially'extending branch 'nozzle pipes 29,7v 29, extending parallel and adjacent to said, receptacle bottom, each ofY said'branches being" provided-with a plurality of ports1130, V3|).L3ar-A ranged 4to Vdischarge Y steam downwardat .an-. angle ofY about 45degreesagainst the receptacleI bottom, as best shown byfthe .arrows in 4.1, lThe ports in'eachradial nozzle pipe discharge' in the; same general direction as do those in the adjacent nozzles,` so that the .jetsof .steam issuing l Ytherefrom will all tend to produce a rotary scour-.

ing movement of theV contained liquid in acunl terclo'ckwise .direction aroundthebottom of the.V containe'rl2, .Wheno'neglooks downward' into .'said Y cntainer; ,Y 1 3|:represents a foamoutlet pipe .connected to an openingin the top plate 4| .of the. container2; 'I'his iscontrolled by"afvalve .32 and .preferablyV foam tower formed .by the conduit sections' V.3 l and `33? soneto/leave .theupper end .of such. foam' tower open .tof `the atmosphere. v35A is a-laterally extending foam "takeoff .preferablyv connected. to

` the'lower section 3l offthe foam' tower,` above Ythe valve 32 but below the uppenvalve 52;"'and dischargingV `intothe .open tank Y36, the bottom v of. which is above the'liquid level in the .con-' tainer12 `andis connected I.by conduit v31 to .the` Y interior. of said container just above said nor-mal liquid evlevel, Vwhich .latter `is, .indicatedbythe broken? line 45'-45 `in.fFig..1. andshownfin' rfull 38 isa Vcircularvhandhole in Ithe' cover. 4|'

through'A which dry, activated :clay may be'v ntrovv Alai-.ger

cleanout'land other .purposeszf tfinlthe usuaiimethcdiServoperation Banesco gallons .lof lcrnk-case. fwaste mixture for other dirty oili is introducedinto theireceptacle 2 throughA pipe- 85. thesteamvalve 2.1 Abeingeclosed.lr !Valves v startingrwith acold still, the temperatuifefofthe phere, while-theV heavierconstituents thereof,` including the lubricating oil, .willf-condensefandl ow back into container 2Y forfurther treat mntm, i". "L n .1.; .t1-rs f-*Heating' sultsroih the presence ffof yWater;ffgreasefand 'other solidI matter in; the original-mixture, will usually?7 have' stopped orniing'iby-the 'time the temperatufrehas reached i 300 ,fat fwhicli i point valve`v 32; is' shut, valve 21- /opened'f, and steam @t1-5,0 es; pressure;pmanagment@.the-bottom of' vcontainer 2' throughports 30;r l 3 f motion.

A' them out of the remaining liquid body.

fanis Vthen started running and the valve H opened. This sucks the hydrocarbon vapors colylected-.in the top of the container2 out through pipe .l 0l to condenser l2, where lthey are reduced to liquid'formandfas suclrcollectiin tank 1.

Further heating for a third hourwill raiserthe temperature to about 450 F. and Vaporize even the..heavierhydrocarbons inthe original charge.l

Theseheavier vapors then collecting in the upvper portion of the. container 2 may be drawn out 'by opening,valveA 32"'s'o thatair will flow in and mix with them td form a lighter gaseous body. which can be sucked out through conduit l0 to.

condenser I2'4 by; the fan, as above described. Usuallythe air enters in arrelatively rapid stream through'the foam tower connection 3l, Aor conduit31; or :at some .-otherpoint remote from the outletpipewln. The gasoline. andother ,com-I bustible liquids,"so-obtained,Y andcollectin'g in tank '1, may. ,be .r transferred. later. to` the sump 5,v for use in :burner 3.V

nienty by heat y,and steam. isv continued for about half :an hour, asta'. fourth; stage ofthe, operatl'iS-f L P n." 'i f. .jz,

The liquidremaining in receptacle: 2v is tested from-time. to Ytime ,asfthe operationadvances to determineits ash point` and specific` gravity, and whenthese have .been brought tothe normal, for the type of -lubricatingfol forming the valuable constituentsof. .the origin-al mixture, the opera.- tionis stopped,..the -.steam and fuel cut 01T, the valve 20vopened, and the pump 23 .started .to gradually draw off the reclaimed oil from rev'ceptacle.2, throughcooler l2l ,and force'it through filter-:24 `t'o 'free it from the activated clay .and any .other solid impuritiesiremaining in it; The cycle lof operations above described requires about four hourslior'its conrniletion.A i r .Asfsoon as the. container 2.1s empty.. a; second charge of crank .easel mixture. is .andi the above: described procedure repeated. Y.The heat of the container'. in. this. and.y intrsucceeding. operation's .cuts `down .the A first stage, :or :warming-.- up step, from' an hountoabout 45'minutes 1n durati0n-`. i2

Etf fY The -function `.of .theacla'y is to. adsorb the cm'-v boni;and--otherrsolid impurities .existing in'the original crank-case mixture or. other dirtyLoil mixturefin the wellknownway, and thusenable 'suchfsol-i'dfimpurities to be :moreeas'ily and cer-f 'tainly l:filtered :out while adhering to .the larger clay -Darticlesfjl l -1 The .foam- .towerf and/or ffoam4 take-Voti A 35 iper-vrmitthedistillatien ofthel mixturefte be carried on at a relatively rapid rate under a high tem'- peraturej'withoutthe foam jblowi'n'gon orY 'runover z r'itfthe exteriorI of *the* furnace' 'and s carryingwith it a considerable portion of lthe lubricatingloil. YOn the, contrary, the waterco'n'- tent- -oftheffanzi isevlaporated, or` partly condensed, audits' `ontained oil andgasolinee'i-e returned; 'to y the Asti-1 1. for further y, treatment. -Al-so the outletjprovided-gby .,the;-foam tower permits @a high temperatureto..befappliedvtothe liquid without :generating'a high. internal :,vapor. .pressurein*.ithezreceptaclepsuch as: would occunif some such vapor outlet were not.'p.`1'ovided,-such high internalf'lpressure being dangerous?. and Ialso v Y .r v L 25 :.Aboutztenper cent-by weight of dry, activated, clay isA then added ,througlrmanhole fand .treats Y Valve 20 serve to pocket a quantity of air in conduit I8, when the still is recharged, as the'valve 20 should be closed before each charge of liquid is introduced to container 2. This protecting cushion of air prevents the heated mixture in the still from reaching valve 20 during the distilling operation and thereby gumming the same Vup so that it would become difficult to open orV close. v

yVarious changes in details of construction can be made withoutV changing the principles of operation above described, or departing from the underlying novelty of the invention, as dened in the appended'claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l; In a still for reclaiming crank-case oils having a partly closed container for :the crank case mixture and/means for 'heating theisame, the combinatiom'with said above described lapparatus, of a oamcollecti'ngv tower havingv its Vupper end open to the atmosphere, its lower end connected to the upper portion of the interior of said container, a discharge spout vconnected at anV intermediate point in said tower means disposed adjacent said discharge spoutrfor returning to said container certain of the liquid constituents of the foam forced out through said discharge spout,and valves disposed in said foam collecting tower both above andbelow saidspout Y for controlling the proportionslof the foam discharged through the upperrend of said tower and through said discharge spout. f f 2. A combination such as defined inclaim 1 in which the dischargeY spout projects .laterally from said foam collecting power, an open receptacle beneath the discharge endof said. spout Y l0 Y but above the level of the liquid in said container,

and a drain conduit for said receptacle 'discharge ing into said container. g

3. A lcombination such as defined in claim 1 in which said discharge spout 'projectsflaterally from said foam .collecting tower, anV open receptacle beneath the discharge endrof said spout but .above the 1eve1 of the liquid in said con- Y tainer for eiecting-a discharge fromY theY end of said discharge spout into said receptacle through the atmosphere, and aA drainconduit iorifsaid receptacle discharging into said container just above the 'said level of the liquid in said container.

4.A combination such as defined in claim 1" in which the upper portionjof said tower is of relatively larger interior vcross section than is the lower portion thereof. l

5.-A combination such as dened in claim l4 in which the portion of said tower above saiddis-A charge spout is of considerably larger interiorvv cross section than is the remainingv lower portion thereof.

6. An apparatusV such as defined in combined with a protecting cap located above, and spaced away from, the upper, open end of said foam collecting tower.

CHARLES P. sHmLABER.

claim i 

